The present invention relates to packaged food articles and to their methods of preparation. More particularly, the present invention relates to articles comprising a gas-impermeable container and a dough for baked goods that are storage stable at room temperature.
Preparation of baked goods such as sweet rolls, and biscuits from xe2x80x9cscratchxe2x80x9d has become a luxury that few households can routinely afford. Demands on homemakers"" time and, increasingly, a very high expectation of quality, make it difficult for a homemaker to routinely prepare these types of goods. Furthermore, with other options available, such as purchasing pre-prepared biscuits and rolls, homemakers do not have to make these products from xe2x80x9cscratch.xe2x80x9d One problem with pre-prepared biscuits and rolls, however, is that these products do not have the desired organoleptic properties of freshly baked home-made products.
Several products have been developed in an attempt to accommodate time restraints of homemakers and to provide a freshly baked product. These products include dry mixes and refrigerated doughs. For instance, EP Application No. 868,850, filed Apr. 4, 1997, describes a shelf stable cake dough that has a water activity below 0.85. The dough is packed in a gas-impermeable pouch in an atmosphere of an inert gas containing preferably less than 2% oxygen by volume. A high concentration of sugar is used to lower the water activity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,893, which issued Jan. 12, 1993, describes a ready to bake dough, used to make bread, biscuits, and pastries. The dough includes water in a concentration of 8-20% by weight. The dough is prepared by making a premix comprising flour and fat and heating the premix. If water is added, the premix is heated under pressure.
Another shelf stable dough is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,493, which issued Feb. 27, 1990. This patent describes a biscuit dough with a water activity within a range of 0.6 to 0.8. The dough is made with inactivated flour. EP Application 443 219 A1 describes extending shelf life of a dough by sterilizing each of an aqueous phase, and oil phase prior to mixing.
The Levitz Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,767,422, which issued Oct. 23, 1973, describes a shelf stable dough composition that has a moisture level between 18 and 24 percent. The dough contains pregelatinized starch and a cereal component comprising over-worked gluten. The dough is chemically leavened.
The Vasseneix Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,139, which issued Jan. 24, 1995, describes a method for rendering a food composition shelf stable. The method includes separating wet and dry components in compartmentalized packaging.
The Lin et al. Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,697, describes a dough that is proofed and then heated in order to form a skin. The skin imparts a structural integrity that inhibits moisture loss and that retains the shape of the proofed dough.
In its product aspect, the present invention resides in a ready-to-use dough article that provides an expanded baked product, such as a roll, pizza dough, biscuit, or scone. The dough article comprises a substantially gas-impermeable container. The dough article also comprises a dough having a cellular network that has expanded the dough. The expanded dough is disposed within the container. The dough comprises flour, a fat and water wherein the water activity is less than about 0.85. The dough article also comprises an inert gas that is disposed within the container. The dough contains less than about 4% residual oxygen. The dough is substantially free of an active leavening agent. For some embodiments, the dough includes an encapsulated leavening agent.
In one method aspect, the present invention resides in a method for making a ready-to-use dough article. The method comprises preparing a dry blend comprising flour and preparing a wet blend comprising water and fat. The wet blend and the dry blend are mixed to form a dough that has a water activity that is no greater than 0.85. For some embodiments, the method further comprises injecting an inert gas into the dough to form a dough that comprises an expanded cellular structure. For other embodiments, inert gas is not injected into the dough. For some embodiments, an encapsulated leavening agent is added to the dough.
In another method aspect of one and the same invention, the present invention resides in a method for expanding a dough. The method comprises preparing a high density dough. The high density dough is admixed with an inert gas to make a low density dough with an expanded, cellular structure.